a. 1. Obliged to answer; liable to be called to account; liable to pay, indemnify, or make good; accountable; amenable; responsible; as, an agent is answerable to his principal; to be answerable for a debt, or for damages. [ 1913 Webster ]

Will any man argue that . . . he can not be justly punished, but is answerable only to God? Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Capable of being answered or refuted; admitting a satisfactory answer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The argument, though subtle, is yet answerable. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Correspondent; conformable; hence, comparable. [ 1913 Webster ]

What wit and policy of man is answerable to their discreet and orderly course? Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

This revelation . . . was answerable to that of the apostle to the Thessalonians. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Proportionate; commensurate; suitable; as, an achievement answerable to the preparation for it. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Equal; equivalent; adequate. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Had the valor of his soldiers been answerable, he had reached that year, as was thought, the utmost bounds of Britain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being answerable, liable, responsible, or correspondent. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an answerable manner; in due proportion or correspondence; suitably. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being unanswerable; unanswerableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not answerable; irrefutable; conclusive; decisive; as, he gave an unanswerable argument. -- Un*an"swer*a*ble*ness, n. -- Un*an"swer*a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]